Khaled Al-Qazzaz has been detained by the Egyptian military without charge since July 3, 2013 and is currently being held in solitary confinement in Tora Prison in Cairo. He is the longest held detainee since the July 2013 Egyptian military coup. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch characterize Khaled’s detainment as “enforced disappearance” under international law, recognizing it as a breach of human rights. Khaled is being held under inhumane conditions and his health is deteriorating rapidly.

A Parliament Hill Press Conference has been arranged ahead of publishing the letter, where leading Canadians committed to Khaled’s release are scheduled to speak. Roch Tasse, National Coordinator of the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group, will host the conference. Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada, will address Khaled’s illegal detainment. Writer and activist Dr. Monia Mazigh, will comment on the tragedy for Al-Qazzaz’s family. Also speaking will be Sarah Attia, Khaled’s Toronto-born wife, who will share the impact on her family. The panel will respond to questions from media on Khaled Al-Qazzaz’s ordeal.

The press conference will be held at the Charles-Lynch Press Conference Room in Centre Block on Parliament Hill, on Tuesday July 15, 2014 at 10.30 am. The open letter and the list of signatories will be published on July 15, 2014.

haled’s health has deteriorated significantly and a recent medical report is showing his conditions may lead to paralysis and permanent disability if not treated immediately.

Khaled Al-Qazzaz, a permanent resident of Canada and father of four young Canadian children, has been unlawfully detained in Egypt for over 377 days. He has been held without charges for over one year now. Khaled currently spends his days and nights in solitary confinement in a cramped insect infested cell slightly larger than a broom closet in one of Egypt’s most notorious prisons.

Khaled Al-Qazzaz is an acclaimed educator, youth activist, human rights champion and revolutionist. Khaled was a staffer, bureaucrat and civil servant of a democratically elected government and he exercised his rights to freedom of expression and association peacefully.

Toronto-born Sarah Attia, Khaled’s wife, has been calling on the Canadian government for help for over two months but little progress has been made.

On July 3, 2013, the Egyptian military forcibly and illegally detained Khaled Al-Qazzaz, a Canadian-educated mechanical engineer, human rights activist and former school principal. His Toronto-born wife, Sarah Attia, has been raising awareness about his situation with the hopes of bringing him back home to her and their four children.